Gig Workers Leverage Self-Tracking to Manage Multi-Dimensional Accountabilities

Core Concepts

Gig workers use self-tracking to manage accountabilities across their holistic, entrepreneurial, and platformized identities.

Abstract

The study explores how gig workers, particularly rideshare and delivery drivers, use self-tracking tools and practices to manage their multi-dimensional accountabilities. Gig workers maintain accountabilities across three key identities: Holistic self: Workers self-track to generate self-knowledge, evaluate their work-life balance, and make informed decisions about their gig work. They use self-tracking to gain insights into their unique experiences and performance that may not be captured by platform-provided metrics. Entrepreneurial self: As independent contractors, workers self-track to manage their fiscal and resource accountabilities. This includes tracking income, expenses, mileage, and time to evaluate profitability, fulfill tax obligations, and maintain their vehicles. Workers often supplement platform-provided data with their own tracking to have a comprehensive view of their finances and operations. Platformized self: Workers self-track to manage their performance accountabilities as they navigate relationships with platforms and customers. They track platform metrics and their own activity to avoid negative consequences like deactivation and maintain a favorable standing. Self-tracking enables gig workers to cultivate autonomy, make data-driven decisions, and mitigate information asymmetries in the gig economy. The findings highlight how self-tracking is a form of invisible labor that gig workers undertake to manage their multi-dimensional accountabilities.

Stats

"I would say [my tracking] has to do with personal stuff, but theirs has to do with business. So, [their tracking is] after probably their money, their sales, their business. For my [tracking], I'm improving myself, [working] on myself, [staying] out to make myself better than [...] the last day." (P11) "For me, [tracking is] good because it helps you to know if what you're doing is worth it or not, because you don't just work because you want to work. You're working because you want to make a living out of it. [...] So you have to work and have a [record] of what you're doing. If it's not good, if it's not working very well, you can decide to take up a different job." (P2) "It helps me to know what I'm earning and what I'm spending, my expenditure versus my revenue. It makes me very prudent and very reliable with my spending habits. [...] If I'm really getting a profit out of what I'm doing after the whole tax deduction." (P21) "If I didn't [track mileage], I would have not made money." (P7)

Quotes

"At the end of the day, I am accountable" "It feels like a necessary evil. [...] It's something that I don't have to do at my W-2 job. It's something that people at W-2 jobs don't have to think about." (P5)

Key Insights Distilled From

"At the end of the day, I am accountable"

by Rie Helene (... at arxiv.org 03-29-2024

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2403.19436.pdf

Deeper Inquiries

How might gig platforms better support workers' multi-dimensional self-tracking needs?

Gig platforms can better support workers' multi-dimensional self-tracking needs by providing more comprehensive and accurate tracking tools within their platforms. This includes tracking features for income, expenses, mileage, and time spent working. Platforms should ensure that the data tracked is detailed, transparent, and easily accessible to workers. Additionally, platforms can offer integrations with third-party tracking tools that workers may already be using to streamline the tracking process. By enhancing the tracking capabilities within their platforms, gig platforms can empower workers to manage their accountabilities more effectively and make informed decisions about their work.

What are the broader societal implications of gig workers having to undertake extensive self-tracking as a form of invisible labor?

The extensive self-tracking undertaken by gig workers as a form of invisible labor has several broader societal implications. Firstly, it highlights the shift towards a more individualized and precarious work environment where workers are responsible for managing their own performance and accountability. This can lead to increased stress, burnout, and financial insecurity for gig workers. Secondly, the reliance on self-tracking places the burden of proof and documentation on the workers, potentially leading to issues of trust and transparency between workers and platforms. Lastly, the normalization of self-tracking as a necessary part of gig work may perpetuate the idea that constant surveillance and monitoring are acceptable in the workplace, impacting workers' autonomy and privacy rights.

How can self-tracking practices among gig workers inform the design of self-tracking tools and systems for other types of independent or precarious work arrangements?

Self-tracking practices among gig workers can inform the design of self-tracking tools and systems for other types of independent or precarious work arrangements by highlighting the specific needs and challenges faced by workers in these environments. Designers can take into account the multi-dimensional nature of self-tracking for gig workers, including tracking income, expenses, time, and performance metrics. Additionally, designers can prioritize transparency, ease of use, and data accuracy in the development of self-tracking tools to support workers in managing their accountabilities effectively. By incorporating insights from gig workers' self-tracking practices, designers can create tools that are tailored to the unique needs of workers in independent or precarious work arrangements.